Dual-Mode Microfluidic Immunostaining (Dumi) Device for Diagnostic Biomarkers Detection and Tumor Microenvironment Evaluation

Abstract

The limited availability of tissue samples from rare tumors poses a major barrier to advances in precise diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and therapeutic research--challenges exemplified by primary central nervous system diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PCNS-DLBCL). However, both immunohistochemical (IHC) subtyping and preliminary studies of the tumor microenvironment (TME) using multiplex immunolabeling rely on conventional staining workflows that consume numerous serial sections per case, leading to irreversible depletion of precious samples from rare tumors. Here, we developed a dual-mode microfluidic immunostaining (Dumi) device, which integrates diagnostic and research workflows into a single, automated platform. Clinical validation shows that > 90% reduction in section usage, complete detection of subtyping diagnostic biomarkers on just 1-2 slides, and displays the TME maps incorporating six immune markers for analysis research. This microfluidic innovative offers an efficient, cost-effective, and multifunctional alternative immunostaining methods, overcoming the limitations of scarce tissue resources and providing a clinically accessible solution to the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges with rare tumors. TeaserDumi device enables multiplex IHC & TME mapping on 1-2 slides, reducing tissue use by >90% for rare tumors like PCNS-DLBCL.